I guess it means playing the pristine, original ('vanilla') version of the game (i.e. that released in 2004, prior to the publication of the first expansion on 2007).

A lot has changed in WoW over the years, mostly in making the game more convenient for the players, aside from the addition of new character classes, playable races, game mechanics etc.

I played vanilla, and still play WoW, although extremely casually now. There's no way in hell I'd want to go back to the vanilla experience now though. Spending an hour in a city yelling for a group is not my idea of fun.

I used to play wow, but I really played it more as a solo experience to soak up the lore. WoW got really on rails in later years (convenient as you say). Between the loss of exploration and adult life (WoW released when I was in college and we were years from dropping PPC ) I haven't played it in years.

I feel like I might go back and play classic a little bit to get that nostalgic feeling of exploration but 110% agree that as far as MMO mechanics go the idea of standing around yelling to find a PUG for Molten Core makes me nauseous.

This is a little bit crazy IMO, having to rely on fans to provide them with their own code:

Quote

Am I right in thinking the Nostalrius team provided you with access to their build at some point?
J. Allen Brack: Yeah, they did. We did a dungeon run with some of the folks, it was an old school Scholomance run. It was interesting.

Also interesting that they have SO few details regarding how it is going to work. It really does feel like they announced this just to please the fans, without actually having any idea how things are going to roll - IF it is even going to work at all without them investing a billion dollars!

I will be looking forward to it. I likely won't have the time, ever, but I really liked what the game was back in the early days and have fond memories of it. As soon as they did Cataclysm and forward, it just wasn't the same. WotLK is likely my perfect expansion target.

I have never raided in WOW, so I really have no idea what it is about. I kind of expect it to be like a multiplayer Diablo dungeon.

The 40-man classic raids were fun, in their way, although now you might struggle to organise such a thing, particularly with the amount of pre-raid prep needed (consumable gathering, etc). Mechanically they were far, far simpler than current raids (don't stand in the fire, decurse, get out of line of sight, don't blow your mates up, that kind of thing), but classes were much more limited too.

Needing to set aside four or five hours for a dungeon run was commonplace also (looking at you UBRS and BRD). It was a major time-sink.

Incidentally, I should add that there are major levelling changes coming to current WoW (Legion) in the upcoming 7.3.5 patch.

Questing and mobs will scale with your level now; you can play 10-60 content in any order you wish. The Burning Crusade and Lich King expansions are similarly level-scaled for 60-80, so you can entirely skip Outland. Similarly Cataclysm and Pandaria for 80-90. Warlords is unchanged (and Legion already scales).

Good news, especially with the bunch of new sub-races coming in Battle for Azeroth.

Incidentally, I should add that there are major levelling changes coming to current WoW (Legion) in the upcoming 7.3.5 patch.

Questing and mobs will scale with your level now; you can play 10-60 content in any order you wish. The Burning Crusade and Lich King expansions are similarly level-scaled for 60-80, so you can entirely skip Outland. Similarly Cataclysm and Pandaria for 80-90. Warlords is unchanged (and Legion already scales).

IF the scaling works anything like ESO sounds great. In ESO I just play with people and I don't have to worry about levels at all. Whatever Zenimax does just automagically works.

Incidentally, I should add that there are major levelling changes coming to current WoW (Legion) in the upcoming 7.3.5 patch.

Questing and mobs will scale with your level now; you can play 10-60 content in any order you wish. The Burning Crusade and Lich King expansions are similarly level-scaled for 60-80, so you can entirely skip Outland. Similarly Cataclysm and Pandaria for 80-90. Warlords is unchanged (and Legion already scales).

My major problem in most of the later expansions has not been that I have to play certain areas in order, but that going to level 60 goes so fast. You don't get to experience all the content, simply because the hand holding ensures you almost hit a new level each time you just spot an enemy. Classic WOW was much better, but then again, I liked all the exploring.

I agree, and the new system should help to fix that (i.e. if you want to spend levels 10-30 doing every inch of the Plaguelands quests you can do that).

I'm one of those strange WoW players that prefers the alt levelling process to endgame. I like the constant drip of new gear and story reveals. As such, I've often turned xp gains off in the past (via the SW Keep NPC; I assume there's a Horde equivalent too) to prolong immersion in favourite zones.

My major problem in most of the later expansions has not been that I have to play certain areas in order, but that going to level 60 goes so fast. You don't get to experience all the content, simply because the hand holding ensures you almost hit a new level each time you just spot an enemy. Classic WOW was much better, but then again, I liked all the exploring.

Ya, i always played to explore and find all the nooks and crannies. I mostly never raided or anything that require a commitment. I'm an old RPG man and Warcraft fan. PreWOTLK you really could explore and find new things, post it was rails rails rails GIANT ARROW GO HERE. I get that's the theme park RPG world we live in now but I'M OLD DAMN IT. WoW classic and BfA have me almost interested again, but I just can't see myself finding the time.